THEMATIC LEAD UPDATE FOOD SECURITY AAUN PRDF PROJECTS AAUN INTERNATIONAL AFRICA FORUM MAY 11 TH 2015 INDABA HOTEL, JOHANNESBURG

PROJECTS STARTING Evaluating the effectiveness of photosentisization in controlling aflatoxin accumulation in maize 2.Improved productivity, post-harvest handling, safety and biosecurity of cowpeas/bambara groundnuts: A value chain analyses in Eastern, Western and Southern Africa 3.Assessing the benefits of agro-biodiversity in the context of climate variability and change 4.Integrated design of highly palatable extruded and other foods for nutrition, health and well-being using selected sustainable grains and legume fractions

PROJECTS STARTING Surveillance and monitoring of food security for Africa 6.Where does your food come from? Food supply in the context of trade, agriculture and nutrition 7.Development of sweet potato postharvest handling technologies for improved safety and quality of fresh and processed forms 8.Enhancing community based farming systems through integrated and efficient soil-water-nutrient management regimes in Sub-Saharan Africa: From research to farm business enterprises

PROJECT 1: EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PHOTOSENTISIZATION IN CONTROLLING AFLATOXIN ACCUMULATION IN MAIZE Partners:  University of Nairobi (Kenya)  University of Queensland (Australia)  Murdoch University (Australia)  University of Georgia (USA)  University of Cape Coast (Ghana)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS  Knowledge transfer to Prof Sheila Okoth (University of Nairobi) to enable further training and experimentation in Africa  Grant request to AGIAR submitted  Mobility between University of Nairobi and University of Queensland

PROJECT 2: IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY, POST-HARVEST HANDLING, SAFETY AND BIOSECURITY OF COWPEAS/BAMBARA GROUNDNUTS: A VALUE CHAIN ANALYSES IN EASTERN, WESTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA Partners:  University of Pretoria (South Africa)  University of Cape Town (South Africa)  University of Western Australia (Australia)  University of Ibadan (Nigeria)  Makerere University (Uganda)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS  Building up a multi-disciplinary team (Agronomics, Genetics, Food Science, Economics)  Workshop at UP in 2014 that produced a conceptual framework to guide the proposal development with a focus on: 1.Addressing the low productivity and constraints to post- harvest handling (Agronomic and socio-economic) 2.Modernising Bambara/Cowpea systems and value chain 3.Enhancing food, nutrition, health and food safety

CHALLENGES  Commitment from a large and diverse team  Opportunity cost of time high  Geographical divide  Initial geographical scope too wide for a start up project (South Africa, West Africa, East Africa)  Lack of contact with channel captains (researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs ) FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES:  Joint proposal  Future plans to be discussed at this meeting

PROJECT 3: ASSESSING THE BENEFITS OF AGRO-BIODIVERSITY IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND CHANGE Partners:  University of Cape Town (South Africa)  Curtin University (Australia)  University of Western Australia (Australia)  University of Ibadan (Nigeria)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS  Project concept that was developed at previous workshops and follow-ups  Currently focussing on development of a funder-directed proposal

CHALLENGES  Challenge to work effectively in geographically disparate teams  Serious problems in meeting in person or even by skype  Spending focused time together productive  High travelling costs especially between Australia and South Africa  Lack of finances

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES  Hope to obtain funding for a significant research project (4- 5 yrs duration) to fund post-graduate studies, encourage more research and produce more than a few research papers

PROJECT 4: INTEGRATED DESIGN OF HIGHLY PALATABLE EXTRUDED AND OTHER FOODS FOR NUTRITION, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING USING SELECTED SUSTAINABLE GRAINS AND LEGUME FRACTIONS Partners:  University of Ibadan (Nigeria)  University of Pretoria (South Africa)  Curtin University (Australia)  Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture (Kenya)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS  MoU: University of Pretoria and Curtin University  Development of Research Collaboration in the Field of Food Security  Four research concept notes developed during first workshop held in Pretoria, January 2014  2013/2014 Two research, training and planning visits between UP and Curtin University  Curtin University Hadyn Williams Fellowship – Prof JRN Taylor (2013/2014)  Curtin University PhD International Scholarship ( ) for Ms KAP Dovi (UP MSc graduate)

CHALLENGES  Challenge to work effectively in geographically disparate teams  Lack of finances

WAY FORWARD  Continue with preparation of manuscript on “Potential role of combinations of some underutilised crops on food and nutrition security in Africa”  Continue with extrusion cooking and related research projects at different universities  2014: 1 Nigerian PhD student and 3 MSc students (UP)  2015: 1 new Ghanaian PhD student and 1 new MSc student (UP); Joint PhD student (Curtin University and UP)  Focus on development of joint international project proposals for funding intended research

PROJECT 5: SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF FOOD SECURITY FOR AFRICA Partners:  Curtin University (Australia)  University of Ghana (Ghana)  University of Pretoria (South Africa)  University of Nairobi (Kenya) First formal meeting for team at this forum

CURRENT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE NEW PROJECT  2 MSc students from University of Curtin on project  Project 1: Started with comparative study of the food safety legislation between Australia and selected African countries  Project 2: Changes in and implementation of microbiological flora from farm to retail of free range chicken FUTURE PLANS :  Publish findings from both projects, including literature reviews  Review paper on food safety aspects of chicken processing from farm level in developing countries  Focus on development of joint international project proposals for funding intended research

PROJECT 6: WHERE DOES YOUR FOOD COME FROM? FOOD SUPPLY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRADE, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION Partners:  University of Sydney (Australia)  University of Pretoria (South Africa)  Makerere University (Uganda)

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTPUTS  Multi-skype calls between investigators  Document review and extraction (UP and Makere)  Funds used to involve research students in data extraction and summary  Initial tables on food consumption and location of food purchasing available

CHALLENGES  Distance is a challenge

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES  Expansion of links with PhD student from the University of Sydney visiting University of Pretoria and working with UP team on salt policy analysis  Initial discussions about evaluation of trans-fate legislation in South Africa leveraging experience from University of Sydney investigators  Aiming for 3 publications and looking out for future funding opportunities  Envisioning at least 3 papers  Food supply issues in South Africa  Food supply issues in Uganda  Commentary piece on the importance of examining food supply as a methodology to understanding nutrition challenges

PROJECT 7: DEVELOPMENT OF SWEET POTATO POSTHARVEST HANDLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVED SAFETY AND QUALITY OF FRESH AND PROCESSED FORMS Partners:  University of Nairobi (Kenya)  University of Queensland (Australia)  Makerere University (Uganda)

ACHIEVEMENTS  Collaborating teams in close contact – worked on other new calls  Desk top situation analyses completed  Sampling of roots for analyses - ongoing.

CHALLENGES  Limited/lack of face to face meetings due to geographical locations  Collaborators from Uganda and Australia only engaged online  Limited budget

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES  Not less than two quality publications from current funding by the end of the year  Respond to future calls to enhance current work.

PROJECT 8: ENHANCING COMMUNITY-BASED FARMING SYSTEMS BY INTEGRATED AND EFFICIENT SOIL-WATER-NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT REGIMES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: FROM RESEARCH TO FARM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES Partners:  University of Sydney (Australia)  University of Ghana (Ghana)  University of Ibadan (Nigeria)  University of Nairobi (Kenya)

PROGRESS SO FAR AND FUTURE PLANS  Successful workshop held in Nairobi (23-24 Feb 2015)  Consortium for Innovative Agricultural Research and Enterprises in Africa (CIAREA) established  Focussing on:  How the stakeholders’ needs could be tailored in each farming community as dictated by the land holding systems in different regions of Africa  How to inspire youth participation in agricultural and associated agro- business in Africa  Two review papers FUTURE PLANS:  Concept notes for grant proposal will be developed in the coming months

CHALLENGES  Challenges in working effectively in geographically disparate teams:  Difficulties with communications  Regional differences in biophysical, socio-economic and cultural characteristics across the SSA  Related to cultural differences is the divergent agricultural production systems linked to variable land holding systems, different staple crops and associated farming systems  Finding enough funds to support a consortium of this nature will require development of a variety of projects covering the divergent regions of Africa  Other challenges related to publication goal:  Different work-related attitudes  Core business of participants interfering with timely completion of allocate tasks  Lack of support resources such as relevant publications, internet access and other auxiliary resources

Challenges 1.Communication 2.Contact 3.Competing demands for time 4.Finance SUMMARY – CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities 1.Working teams 2.Funding 3.Capacity building 4.Publications

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